The United States has donated 500,000 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) to Sri Lanka as part of its commitment to support the island nation’s fight against COVID-19. The aid came in addition to the earlier 1.5 million Moderna Covid-19 donated to Sri Lanka by the US. 

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), a developmental aid agency of the US State Department, delivered the test kits, worth $1.5 million, delivered to the Ministry of Health.  

“By enabling rapid detection of the virus, these tests donated by the American people will save lives and protect public health in Sri Lanka,” Reed Aeschliman, the USAID mission director to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, was quoted as saying by the Morning newspaper.

“This donation builds on previous US support to the Sri Lankan government’s pandemic response and reflects our strong, long-standing partnership,” he added.

The simple to use test kits would enable fast and decentralized access to direct testing and do not require additional equipment or specialized laboratory access, which helps achieve high testing coverage.

As part of its support to Sri Lanka, the US has so far provided over $8 million in emergency supplies and critical services, plus an in-kind donation of 200 ventilators and over 1.5 million Moderna vaccines, the US Embassy in Colombo said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Thursday received 2 million more Chinese Sinopharm vaccines, taking the number of total Sinopharm procured so far to 9.1 million. The Chinese vaccine has emerged most widely used vaccine in the island nation after India stopped the export of Covishied in late April this year. 

(SAM)